RALEIGH, N.C. — The pandemic impacted everyone differently, but it’s hard to describe the extraordinary effect it had on health care workers.

They were on the front lines saving lives while facing the same uncertainty, fear and personal challenges as the rest of us.

Five years later, their industry is still changed forever.

What You Need To Know

  •  The coronavirus pandemic took an emotional toll on health care workers 

  •  Some left the industry, others used the pandemic to solidify their dedication to the profession

  • “It was just a big roller coaster. You didn’t know what was coming,” said Ashley Sholar, one rural North Carolina nurse

  • “Just seeing them decline rapidly in days and talking about end of life care,” another nurse said

Five years later, each nurse is still affected by their individual experiences. The impact of the coronavirus pandemic evolving the profession to this day, but issues still remain.

In rural eastern North Carolina, Ashley Sholar faced the front lines of COVID-19 right from the start.

“It was just a big roller coaster. You didn’t know what was coming,” Sholar said. “I was actually the first nurse that took care of our COVID patient.”

Being a nurse in a rural emergency room wasn’t an easy experience at first.

“We had 15 beds, and I remember one weekend I was working. We were short-staffed and our total, which was the most in the hospital’s history, we registered 142 patients in one day — and the next day was 144,” Sholar said.“We had 15 beds, and I remember one weekend I was working. We were short-staffed and our total, which was the most in the hospital’s history, we registered 142 patients in one day — and the next day was 144,” Sholar said.

In Concord, Damola Ogunyomi started her career during COVID. She, too, remembers the challenges of separating work and home.

“In the garage we had this little storage area. I’d have to change in there just to make sure my family was not exposed to it,” Ogunyomi said.

Five years later, it’s the faces that stick with them more than the challenges they faced.

“Just seeing them decline rapidly in days and talking about end-of-life care,” Ogunyomi said.

Kara Evans trains new nurses and helps further their careers with Atrium Health. She hears those echoes of the emotional toll weighing heavier than physical exhaustion.

“We’ve been talking about burnout and psychological distress, and those kind of work-related concerns for years and years, but all of the sudden the spotlight was on — our health care workers, our nurses, everyone who’s in the hospital together, how are we keeping them physically safe, how are we taking care of them mentally?” Evans said.

COVID-19: Five years later

Though some hospitals might look to incorporate things like employee assistance programs in the future, the problem appears to have many issues behind it.

An N.C. Nursecast model projects by 2033, the state will face a 27% shortfall of licensed practical nurses with a projected 11% shortfall of registered nurses. Currently, about 162,000 RNs work in North Carolina, meaning the state could find itself about 12,500 nurses short.

Sholar also thinks pay was a big factor in pushing away quality caregivers during the pandemic. Nurses have also been suffering at the hands of patients, she added.

“I think one issue that is really near and dear to my heart is the fact that we have seen violence against nurses skyrocket,“ Sholar said.“I think one issue that is really near and dear to my heart is the fact that we have seen violence against nurses skyrocket,“ Sholar said. “They don’t want to be physically abused."

At the end of the day for many of these nurses during what was a tumultuous pandemic, being able to rise above, join as a team and achieve the goal of being a nurse and surviving the emotions of the day were most important.

“It’s the most beautiful thing ever being able to impact people’s lives being there, you know we are there sometimes at the beginning and then sometimes at the end, which is sad but being through COVID and just seeing all of that and to rise above it all with our fellow team members has just renewed my sense of purpose within nursing,” Ogunyomi said.

“The nursing profession that I get to advocate for people that work with even the ones that are still in high school, that are still wanting to be a nurse and coming up because I want to make it better for you know the next generation because they’re going to the be one’s taking care of us,” Sholar said.

Though COVID led some to leave the field, it undoubtedly reinforced the dedication for others to stay.